Bird tales

The Finch Saga. Our winter nights can be very cold in spite of warm days, and I asked Dan to make some roosts for the small birds to hole up in when needed. So done, and I hung them in protected spots around the house with one of them opposite the kitchen window. We never did see anybody roost, but a few weeks ago a female house finch threw some twigs up there and started sitting.


Since I did not think much of her nest building ability, I figured it was just a passing thing, but she has stayed on there faithfully and even fortified the structure some. Then a few days ago a hormone-struck male house sparrow was fluttering around next to the little nest and a female came and joined him with lots of noise, and some lunging at the little finch. They were planning to build their nest there too! I chased them off a couple of times, but of course they persisted. So much so that yesterday morning the intruders appeared with nesting material. The little finch stayed on her nest in spite of being picked at, and I had had enough. We put an empty egg carton in the additional space and hoped that the finch would not mind, but she, and her man, seem to understand and she is still on her nest. The male sparrow spent the rest of the day on a nearby hanging plant, yelling.


We also have seen the first flock of baby quail. (Apologies for the ho-hum pictures but it is the best either one of us can do, and believe me the baby birds are there). They are Gambels and the parents feel comfortable enough to bring them to feed morning and night. I never tire of seeing these golfball size babies eat along with their parents. Thankfully this couple are good protectors as this will mean that most of the babies will survive. It is sad to see some flocks diminish daily for various reasons: separation from the family, predation by various animals and birds, uncaring parents.


I saw the first snake around the house a few days ago. A pair of curvebill thrashers pointed him out to me as the snake was trying to escape their fierce beaks. It was just a bull snake, but those thrashers were unrelenting in pecking at his tail. The snake took the hint and went from shady spot to shady spot trying to escape, followed by the thrashers. I am sure that the birds were worried about their nest being raided.

We see so many kinds of birds around here. I throw out birdseed early in the morning and we get entertained through our breakfast watching the birds have theirs. Aside from the orioles and hummers who come to the nectar feeders, we see (in no particular order, and not every day) gold finches, house finches, house sparrows, black-chinned sparrows, white-crowned sparrows, Gambel quail, scaled quail, black-headed grosbeaks, blue grosbeaks, lazuli buntings, indigo buntings, Say's phoebe, king birds, western tanagers, pyrrhuloxias, cardinals, cowbirds, canyon towhees, mourning doves, white-wing doves, shrikes, and the occasional bird of prey. Whew!